Posted on by A View From The Middle (Class) · 1 Comment

My music playlist for today (July 6, 2012 edition)

We’re getting down to the end of the playlist’s Independence Week celebration, and now that we’re down to the soul/funk/blues category for a Funky Friday, let’s go to Saginaw, Michigan, the birthplace of an American music legend, Stevie Wonder.

President Barack Obama presents Stevie Wonder ...
President Barack Obama presents Stevie Wonder with the Gershwin Award for Lifetime Achievement in a celebration in the East Room of the White House. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Born with the name Stevland Hardaway Morris, and born blind due to the fact he was premature and his sight hadn’t developed before birth, he was given the name Stevie Wonder as a “child wonder” by a Motown producer who said, “”We can’t keep calling him the eighth wonder of the world.”

Instead of holding him back, Stevie’s blindness gave him an entirely different kind of vision … an “innervision.”

Stevie hears with his perfectly functioning ears and sees things in his mind that those of us with sight may never see, unless we put ourselves in the same frame of mind as Stevie.

He hears people’s cries and their laughter, he envisions the pain and joy that’s around us, he feels the love, and he shares it all with us.  He’s also able to “see” injustice” in the land of the free and talk about that as well, with a vision many of us can only hope to attain someday.

He’s done it all for so many years with so much soul, style, and funkiness … that’s why I’ve loved his music ever since I was a kid myself.  Stevie’s been among my lifetime musical heroes ever since childhood, which made seeing an old photo this year of my friend Lester Chambers of The Chambers Brothers sitting near Stevie in a recording studio back in the ’70s so amazing.  Man, I would’ve loved to hear Lester and Stevie blow on their harmonicas together!

I’ve heard it, I’ve felt it, and I’ve tried myself to get that “Stevie Wonder innervision.”  It’s possible if you try.

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Posted on by A View From The Middle (Class)

“The View’s” BIG TALENT SHOW: The rodeo announcer who wants to be a wedding reception DJ

A friend of ours is getting remarried tomorrow night — true story.  For her big day, she’s asked my lovely wife Amy to handle some live music and I’ve been asked to do some disc jockeying during the reception.  I can handle that.  In fact, I love doing that.

Somehow it slipped out to “Chet Chesterfield” that this big event was about to take place.  He doesn’t think very highly of my abilities, it seems.  It also seems that “Chet” has relatives all over the place.  I couldn’t even go to watch Fourth of July fireworks the other night without bumping into a member of Chet’s bloodlines.

Before the fireworks could begin, a big rodeo was taking place at the arena nearby.  The rodeo announcer caught my attention with his raspy voice that sounded a bit like Wolfman Jack with a Southern drawl.  “Booger” was the name.  “Booger Pickens,” and rodeo announcing is his game.

Unfortunately, I gave “Chet” my cell phone number and “Booger” texted me a link to some YouTube videos that he put out there to share in my “BIIIIIIG TALENT SHOW” with a bit of timely advice on how to handle the DJ’ing portion of this upcoming wedding reception.

“Chet” just can’t seem to get it through his head that I’m a big boy, I’ve done this kind of thing before, and he doesn’t need to keep giving me suggestions on everything.  But, well, it does seem to run in that family (kind of like their mouths).

So, here he is, “Booger Pickens,” showing how to do a wedding reception DJ’s job “the right way.”

“Booger Pickens,” wedding reception DJ

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Do you have a “hidden talent” that you’d like to share with the world?  Feel free to do so!  All I ask is that you keep it at a “PG rating,” because, after all, this is SUPPOSED to be a family friendly show!

How do you do it?  Use a camcorder or a webcam, silly!  And come up with something original to post on YouTube so I can share it here!  Put on your thinking caps, boys and girls, and feel free to send me those YouTube links to (Do I dare give out my personal email address?  Yeah, why not, I know how to use the Delete button there too.  And we’re all friends here, right?  Right?) jgmiller_2000@yahoo.com.  Be sure to give me your first name and where you’re from so I can let people know.  I won’t be putting them up every day, maybe just make it a Friday-only show.  A great way to end each week (if you give me that many each week).

Be sure to give me a subject line on your email of “The View’s Big Talent Show Submission.”  And I am serious!

Good luck!  I look forward to seeing what you’ve got!  And, like the Foo Fighters once sang (a time or two), “KEEP IT CLEAN!”

Copyright 2012, Daddysangbassdude Media

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